Friendship networks and the social structure of opportunities for contact and interaction

•Size of individuals’ social environment is reflected in the friendship network.•Environment’s compositions by sex and education are reflected in the network.•Properties of foci of activity transform contacts into opportunities for interaction.•Suggestion: combine macro-structural theory with micro-sociological theories.

This paper explores the Partnermarktsurvey to analyze how the size and composition of individuals’ friendship networks are associated with the opportunities for contact and interaction provided by individuals’ immediate social environment. The size and composition of individuals’ social environment are strongly reflected in the size and composition of their network of friends. Several properties of an individual’s foci of activity help to transform mere contacts into opportunities for interaction. The paper suggests to combine macro-structural theory with micro-sociological theories about action and social capital.